Hello from the Isle of Man !

[andi4x4]

Hi All,

My name is Andi, 54m, and I can also be found on RMWeb as 'andi4x4'

My interests lie in 00 'End of Steam/Green Diesel' period with DCC sound and O gauge vintage and modern, vintage style, Coarse/Tinplate, but, I have recently started dabbling in RTR fine scale O gauge with a couple of Heljan Dcc sound fitted locos, some wagon kits and a couple of Lima Mk1's (which will be 'upgraded').

I don't have a layout as such, but I have built a modular 00 gauge, portable double circuit 'running track', with passing loops on one long side and the beginnings of something resembling a station on the other long side. This was started about 10 years ago and portable was a neccessity as the 'train room' was also a guest bedroom that got frequent use as such. Since then we have moved house and I now have a permanent railway room, however, I also have an O gauge 3 rail running track with a double circuit, changeover loop and some sidings. This is currently screwed down onto the benchwork while I finalise the layout (which I think I have now done), but will soon be lifted and become a modular layout similar to the 00 gauge one. I am able to run my 2 rail fs O gauge around the outer circuit, but only the outer circuit. Once I have got the 3r onto the modular boards, I can make a start on something similar for the 2r FS. This, again is intended to be modular, the idea being, that I can set one up for running, then, when I get bored of that one (as I am prone to do !) I can store it away under the benchwork and get a different one out. Unfortunately, I don't have room for three layouts ! In between working on tracks, I am working on rolling stock kits and RTR modifications, including a coupling system that will allow me to run the Finescale stuff around Peco Setrack curves. The locos I have are happy running around them, just need to be able to couple them up to something !

And while all that is going on, I shall be reading and digesting the content of this forum !

Best Regards !
Andi

 

[Dog Star]

Welcome!

Standard currency is a workshop topic and plenty of photographs.

Regards, Graham

 

[simond]

Welcome on board!

(there are quite a few of us who inhabit both forums)

as suggested, photos. We like photos

 

[andi4x4]

Thanks for the welcome !

Here's a couple of tasters !

A 3 rail O gauge pannier I am building from a poor body bought on the Bay of E. I have had to strip off the original paint, which appeared to be house paint applied with a yard broom ! I then scratch built a chassis, fitted it with a Mashima 1830 type motor, Roxey gearbox, and Walsall cast wheels with a 2,5mm flange so that it will run on both the Maldon track I have used for my running track and traditional tinplate track.






The black block is a load of car tyre weights stuck together to make a ballast block. The loco body is soldered tinplate, so is quite lightweight. The weight of the brass chassis and cast wheels was not enough to add sufficient weight to give it much traction, so, extra weight was needed.

This YT video below gives an idea of its tractive effort ....

And,

A drivers eye view around my 3 rail running track . . .

I have since modified and simplified the track layout prior to the planned lift and relay onto modular boards.

and an 'aerial' view of the railway room prior to the track redesign

This is all in one of two similarly sized basement rooms we have - the other houses my modelling work station.... The loco on the workbench is a Triang/Novo O gauge Class 35 Hymek which I am converting into a finescale model (as far as one can !) using a bunch of 3D resin printed parts from a seller on eBay who does a complete kit of parts for the conversion.



and one of my two other hobbies - Sim Racing.....



My other hobby, which, whilst I ride all year round, completely takes over in the summer and is my first love and very much a way of life for me ......







Just three of my bikes Top is 2014 Harley Davidson Fat Bob (old pic, much modified from this !), middle is a much modified 2004 Kawasaki VN800, third pic is me on my 2000 reg Honda VTR1000 SP1 which I have owned since 2003 - I also have a 1999 Suzuki Bandit 600 and a rare 1995/6 Kawasaki ZZR250 official UK import.

 

[andi4x4]

Getting back on track and back on topic, A couple of pics of the Heljan O gauge locos I have recently acquired. No particular plans were in mind when these were purchased other than everything should be able to negotiate Peco Setrack curves and points. I have some points that have been modified to reduce the curve on the diverging line and will be working with that principle when I get around to putting down some track. In the meantime, I am able to run 2 rail locos and stock around the outer circuit of 3 rail track, but, 2 rail stock cannot access any of the sidings or inner circuit. I have to be honest and confess that I only bought the class 37 and Class 26 because they were very heavily discounted at Rails ! The 37 is a bit tight on the setrack curves and will probably only be able to run with coaching stock, but the 26 is a little happier with shorter stuff. I am hoping to come up with a coupling system that will allow a wider range of stock to be used with both locos without suffering buffer lock, but, it may require a crossover with the coarse scale stuff.

As well as the Heljan stock, I also have an early resin bodied Steve Beattie Class 25 kit to build and a Lima Class 33 and conversion kit. These I have had for about ten years, along with the Dapol Class 08 as, I was planning an excursion into O gauge before we moved house, but, other things took priority at the time. I also have the Triang/Novo Class 35 conversion ongoing too.